Academic Regulations

Course Numbering System and Requirements

Only courses numbered 500 to 699 may be applied toward the master’s degree. Courses numbered 500 to 599 are open to graduate students, seniors, and specially qualified juniors. Courses numbered 600 through 699 are open to graduate students only. Courses numbered 700-899 are open only to students in doctoral programs.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites may be met by approved equivalent courses taken at other universities. You should consult your academic advisor if you have a question about prerequisites. Students who enroll in courses for which they do not meet the prescribed prerequisites may be required to withdraw from those courses. Prerequisite courses below 500-level are not eligible for Graduate School financial assistance.

Grading System

The grading system of the University which applies to graduate students is as follows:

A- High Competence (4.0)

B- Competence (3.0)

C- Minimum Competence (2.0)

D- Limited or Incomplete Competence (1.0)

F- Inadequate Competence for Credit

W- Official Withdrawal

IN- Incomplete Work

IP- Work in Progress

Only courses with a grade of “C” or higher can be used toward completion of degree requirements.

IN – Incomplete Work

“IN” is the symbol used when the instructor lacks sufficient evidence to award a letter grade. The purpose of an “IN” is to provide the time necessary for a student to complete coursework which, through no fault of the student’s, was not completed in the normal time allowed. Reasonable time necessary for completion is decided by the student and the faculty member teaching the course. The “IN,” once assigned, remains on the official academic record upon conversion to a grade or permanent “I.”

The “IN” should not be mistakenly considered as an incentive for the faculty to recommend or for students to believe that this extension permits students merely to retake courses, or to extend the time for the completion of the prescribed work beyond the end of the semester of enrollment, as a means of removing the “Incomplete.”

At the time the “IN” is assigned, the instructor and students must sign a contract specifying what must be done to complete the “IN” and the date by which the “IN” must be converted. Copies of the contract must be provided to the student, faculty member, graduate advisor, and Graduate School office. An “IN” must be converted not later than four weeks before the end of the next regular semester. Under unusual circumstances, the student may be granted an extension to the end of the semester with the approval of the instructor involved, provided that the request was received prior to the normal deadline for the removal of incompletes. If the instructor does not submit a letter grade by the specified deadline, an “I” will remain permanently upon the student’s record and may not thereafter be removed. Once a permanent “I” is recorded for a course, if a student must complete the course to fulfill degree requirements, the student will have to register for the course again and satisfactorily complete the course requirements.

Contracts are available in the Graduate School, 200 Bradley Hall, or from the graduate coordinator.

IP – Work in Progress

“IP” may be assigned to a student in a graduate course when the instructor agrees that the student requires more than one semester to complete the course. Normally, “IP” grades will only be assigned for thesis courses, other courses involving extensive projects involving research/creative production, or independent study courses. At the time the “IP” is assigned, the instructor and student must sign a contract specifying what must be done to complete the “IP” and the date by which the “IP” must be converted. The “IP,” once assigned, remains on the official academic record upon conversion to a grade or a permanent “I.” Copies of the contract must be provided to the student, faculty member, graduate advisor, and Graduate School Office. If the “IP” is not removed by the specified date, it will be recorded as a permanent “I.” Once a permanent “I” is recorded for a course, if a student must complete the course to fulfill degree requirements, the student will have to register for the course again and satisfactorily complete the course requirements.

Contracts are available in the Graduate School, 200 Bradley Hall, or from the graduate coordinator.

Graduate Student Policy Violation Issues and Grievance Procedures

The policy violation issues of a graduate student may be academic or non-academic in nature. In the following sections the definitions, policies and grievance procedures to deal with the issues are delineated. The primary source of procedures for dealing with these issues is the Faculty Handbook. The Student Handbook also has a section dealing with policy violation issues. It also uses as its primary source the Faculty Handbook. These handbooks can be found in the Bradley University web pages. The following is not intended and may not supersede any of the policies of the Faculty Handbook. It does in certain cases provide for input from individuals that are primarily associated with graduate programs and students.

Academic Issues

Academic issues are concerns regarding breach of academic integrity by a student or a student’s allegation of unfair academic evaluation by an instructor. A breach of academic integrity is either cheating or plagiarism by a student.

Definitions

Cheating is officially defined as giving or attempting to give, or obtaining or attempting to obtain, information relative to an examination or other work that the student is expected to do alone and not in collaboration with others, or the use of material or information restricted by the instructor. Each instructor will indicate beforehand work that may be done in collaboration with other students.

Plagiarism is reproducing from published or unpublished print or electronic media, without quotations or citations, another’s sentences as your own, adopting a particularly apt phrase as your own, paraphrasing someone else’s argument as your own, presenting someone else’s line of thinking in the development of a thesis as though it were your own, and someone else’s project work or results thereof as your own.

Policies

Cheating. A “zero” or whatever is the equivalent of the failing lowest grade possible, shall be assigned for that piece of work to any student cheating on a non-final examination or other class assignment. A “zero” or whatever is the equivalent of the lowest failing grade possible shall be assigned on a final examination to any student cheating on a final examination. An “F” shall also be assigned as the course grade to any student cheating on a comprehensive final examination.

Plagiarism. A “zero” or whatever is the equivalent of the lowest failing grade possible shall be assigned for that piece of work to any student plagiarizing on a non-final piece of work. In the case of a student plagiarizing on a final research paper or project, an “F” shall also be assigned as the course grade.

Repeated Cheating or Plagiarism. For twice-repeated or aggravated offences of cheating or plagiarism, additional action, including dismissal from the University, may be taken pursuant to the Student Handbook procedures related to the University Judicial System and the disciplinary sanctions for violation of University regulations.

University Student Grievance Policy

If a student objects to instructor’s conclusion that a breach of academic integrity has occurred, or if the student alleges an unfair academic evaluation by an instructor, or if the student has non-academic concerns, the student may take recourse to the grievance procedures to resolve the issue. The student shall first exhaust the informal grievance procedures before resorting to the formal grievance procedures.

The grievance process shall be completed as expeditiously as possible. The recommended timelines may be exceeded only under compelling circumstances.

Academic Issues

Informal Academic Grievance Procedures

The student shall first consult his or her graduate program coordinator or director to seek a course of action to resolve the issue. The graduate program coordinator or director shall advise the student of the procedures to be followed to resolve the issue. If a conflict of interest exists between the student and the graduate program coordinator or director the student may seek the advice of the department chairperson of the department offering the program in which they are enrolled. If there is a question of the procedures to follow, the academic ombudsman should be consulted.

The student shall then appeal in writing to the instructor’s department chair to resolve the issue. If there is a conflict of interest between the student and the chairperson, the student should appeal in writing to the dean of the college to resolve the issue. The instructor shall provide in writing to the chair the instructor’s conclusions pertaining to breach of academic integrity by the student.

The department chairperson shall consider the issue and try to resolve it by meeting with the concerned parties within five business days after receiving the student’s appeal in writing.

If the issue is not resolved at the level of the department chairperson, the chairperson shall forward all paperwork related to the issue including the student’s appeal to the director of graduate programs of the college to which the department belongs, and request that the director resolve the issue. The chairperson shall submit to the director a memo summarizing discussions with the concerned parties and the chair’s decision. If the position of director of graduate programs does not exist within the college all paperwork related to the issue including the students appeal shall be forwarded to the dean of the college to which the department belongs.

If the issue is not resolved at the level of the director of graduate programs, the director shall forward all paperwork related to the issue, including the student’s appeal, to the dean of the college to which the department belongs, and request that the dean resolve the issue. The director shall submit to the dean a memo summarizing discussions with the concerned parties and the director’s decision.

The dean of the college or the dean’s designee(s) shall consider the issue and shall try to resolve the issue by meeting with the concerned parties within ten business days after receiving the request from the department chair. Due process requirements for a fair hearing shall be provided to all parties involved. The record of the hearing before the dean or dean’s designee(s) shall consist of written statements of the parties involved in support of their positions provided prior to the hearing and a transcript of the hearing.

If the issue is not resolved at the level of the dean of the college, the student may submit an appeal in writing within five business days after receiving the dean’s decision, to the dean of the Graduate School to resolve the issue. The student shall inform the dean of the college about the appeal to the dean of the Graduate School.

The dean of the college shall submit all paperwork related to the issue including the record of the hearing, to the dean of the Graduate School and the dean’s or dean’s designee(s)’ decision, and if the dean’s designee(s) rendered the decision, the dean shall indicate whether or not the dean agrees with the decision.

The dean of the Graduate School or the dean’s designee(s) drawn from the Executive Committee of the Graduate Faculty shall consider the issue and shall try to resolve the issue by meeting with the concerned parties within ten business days after receiving the appeal from the student. Due process requirements for a fair hearing shall be provided to all parties involved. The record of the hearing before the dean or dean’s designee(s) shall consist of written statements of the parties involved in support of their positions provided prior to the hearing and a transcript of the hearing. The dean shall provide the student the final decision in writing.

If the issue is not resolved at the level of the dean of the Graduate School, the student may resort to the formal grievance procedures, within five days of receiving the final written decision by the dean of the Graduate School, by appealing to the chairperson of the University Student Grievance Committee.

Non-Academic Issues

Definition Non-academic issues include concerns regarding access or participation in courses, harassment and racial discrimination based on age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status, or any other derogatory or discriminatory act by an instructor, a staff member, or a fellow student.

Informal Non-Academic Grievance Procedures

The student shall meet with the associate provost for student affairs to seek a course of action to resolve the non-academic issue. The associate provost for student affairs shall advise the student about the informal grievance procedures to be followed to resolve the issue, and facilitate the informal grievance process.

Formal Grievance Process Academic and Non-Academic

If the issue (academic or non-academic) is not resolved through the informal grievance process, the student may seek a resolution of the issue through the formal grievance process delineated in the Faculty Handbook. The University Student Grievance Committee shall conduct formal hearings after the chairperson of the committee receives a written request from the student to begin the formal grievance process.

University Student Grievance Committee

The function of the University Student Grievance Committee shall be:

To conduct formal hearings, upon request from a student or an instructor regarding academic or non-academic issues as defined before.

To submit findings to the appropriate administrative officer (provost and vice president of academic affairs for academic matters and the associate provost for student affairs for non-academic matters. If a conflict of interest exists, then, to the appropriate vice president or the president of the university). Should the committee find evidence that the grievance was appropriate, it will forward specific suggestions for rectifying such evaluation or treatment.

The University Student Grievance Committee shall be constituted as set forth in the Faculty Handbook, the expectation being that the faculty members will be taken from the graduate faculty and the students being graduate students in cases involving individuals associated primarily with the Graduate School and its programs.

The Committee shall elect its chairperson and establish its internal operating procedures in accordance with the formal student grievance policy published in the Faculty Handbook and the university policies on affirmative action, discrimination, etc. The procedures shall be made available to all parties involved in the grievance process.

Transcript of Credits

A transcript of credits is an authentic copy of the student’s academic record. No partial transcript will be issued. Transcripts are released only by written request of the student. This order must be placed in person or by mail to the Registrar’s Office, and be accompanied by a $7.00 fee per copy requested. For other methods of ordering transcripts, please see bradley.edu/registrar/transcripts.

Bradley University does not issue nor certify copies of transcripts from other institutions.